1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to toilet overflow and leak prevention devices, and more particularly, to devices adapted to be mounted in or to a water line to a toilet or urinal, having no water tank, for detecting and shutting off any leaks or stuck flush valves, and/or controlling overflow of water from a toilet bowl or urinal.
2. Description of Related Art
As homeowners and those who work in and around certain types of facilities, such as convalescent or retirement homes, office buildings, restaurants, and the like, are aware, toilet bowls and urinals may leak or overflow for any number of reasons, such as becoming blocked or worn, valves becoming stuck in the open position, or by a person repeatedly flushing the same to cause it to overflow. The leaking or overflow of water may cause serious problems, for any number of reasons, and the waste of water caused thereby is becoming increasingly more serious because of the growing need to conserve water.
Many patents have disclosed mechanical and electrically operated water overflow control devices to prevent the overflowing of toilets and/or toilet tanks. Examples of such patents include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,058,509 and 6,178,569 in the name of Richard Quintana, one of the inventors named herein. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,096 to Richard Quintana discloses a system that detects water leaks and shuts off the flow of water to a toilet. The devices disclosed in these patents work well for their intended purposes, but fail to disclose or teach overflow, leak and stuck valve prevention systems, of the type disclosed herein.
The present invention incorporates one or more devices formed integrally with or removably held in a toilet bowl or a urinal to detect and prevent overflows, and an automatically operated shut-off device held in a water line to the toilet bowl or urinal having means to sense the flow of water and to accurately measure and control the flow of water to the toilet bowl or urinal, in a more expeditious, reliable and cheaper manner.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified toilet and urinal leak, overflow and stuck valve prevention system. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified flow detection and overflow prevention system connected in a water line. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified water flow control and overflow prevention system for a toilet bowl or urinal. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified system, having one or more detecting sensors inserted in or near the rim of a toilet bowl or urinal and connected to an actuator for a valve means to control flow of water to the toilet bowl or urinal. It is still another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified overflow control device having a plurality of sensing means attached at a rim of a toilet bowl or urinal and which is electrically connected to a normally open valve means for selectively controlling the flow of water to the toilet bowl or urinal. It is a still further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified flow control device having an actuator for a valve means, connected to sensors mounted at a rim of a toilet bowl or urinal to prevent overflows, and with further means to detect leaks or a stuck valve in a water line. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified flow control and leak detection system that prevents leaks and overflows and allows stuck valves to be reset. And, it is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified system having a water overflow prevention device incorporated in or to a toilet bowl or urinal and a flow measuring device or sensor that operate a shutoff valve a predetermined number of times before finally or completely stopping flow of water and activating an alarm.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a system held in water line to a toilet bowl or urinal. The system includes water flow sensing means and means connected to overflow detecting means held in the toilet bowl or urinal, for operation of a normally-open valve to control flow of water to the toilet bowl or urinal from a flush valve.